Kent cricket spinner Adam Riley says he won't relax, despite being set for extended run in the side following 9-155 performance against Surrey

Man of the moment Adam Riley says it’s a good time to be a Kent prospect but despite being told he’s set for an extended run in the side, the spinner says he won’t rest on his laurels.

With England preparing for a limited overs series against Sri Lanka, spinner James Tredwell is set for an absence from Kent duty through May and early June, although he had already found himself behind Riley in Kent’s four-day pecking order.

Adam Riley celebrates his first Kent home Championship fivefer to finish with match figures of 9-155. Picture: Barry Goodwin

Riley made it 23 first class wickets in seven innings this season when he claimed 4-77 and 5-78 against Surrey at Canterbury this week and said: “I wanted to keep taking wickets. I’ve done that this week so I’ll carry on trying to impress with the opportunities that I get.

“From what the guys upstairs are telling me, I’m going to get a decent run in the side now that Treddy has some one-day series coming up.

“I don’t think you can ever relax in the first team though, if you do, you let things slip. I’ll always take it day by day.

“I can’t assume I’ll play. If it turns out to be a green top at Derby (on Sunday) or if I bowled poorly in the previous game, then I still might not play.

“I won’t get too far ahead of myself, though, when I look at the fixtures, I’m looking at the first team and not the second team at the moment.”

The 22-year-old also reflected on playing in a side which featured several players with whom he’s come through the ranks at Kent.

Riley said: “We were saying that we’ve got a lot of guys now who grew up playing together for the academy.

“We’ve got Ball, Cowdrey, Bell-Drummond, Billings, Blake – a few guys all pushing for the first team, who all grew up playing academy, 2nds, under-17s cricket together.

Riley said: “It’s quite an exciting time to be around Kent, plus we’re all Kent lads. We’ve got a good core young group who have all grown up playing together, we know what everyone’s about and what gets people going.

“It’s good for the team dynamic that you have got all these young guys playing together.”

He added: “It’s a great time to be a young Kent cricketer. They are giving opportunities to younger guys at a time when they are ready to step up, whereas a few years ago, we might have only been playing when the squad was thin. Now people are earning the right to play in the first team.”